Page 57 - That I May Know Him (1964)

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When Man Cooperates, February 18
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure.
Philippians 2:13
.
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and
open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with
me” (
Revelation 3:20
). Thus the world’s Redeemer illustrates the work of
the Holy Spirit upon the human heart. The living agent, by an act of faith
of his own, places himself in the hands of the Lord for Him to work in him
His good pleasure in His time. There must be a continual exercise of faith
to be in Christ and keep in Christ, abiding by faith in Him.
This is a training process, a constant discipline of the mind and heart,
that Christ shall work His great work in human hearts. Self, the old natural
self, dies, and Christ’s will is our will, His way is our way, and the human
agent becomes, with heart, mind, and intellect, an instrument in the hands
of God to work no more wickedness but the righteousness of Christ....
In the divine arrangement God does nothing without the cooperation of
man. He compels no man’s will. That must be given to the Lord completely,
else the Lord is not able to accomplish His divine work that He would do
through the human agency. Jesus declared that in a certain place He could
not do many mighty works among the people because of their unbelief. He
wanted to do for them in that place just what He knew that they needed to
have done, but He could not because unbelief barred the way. The potter
cannot mold and fashion unto honor that which has never been placed
in his hands. The Christian life is one of daily surrender, submission,
and continual overcoming, gaining fresh victories every day. This is the
growing up into Christ, fashioning the life into the divine Model....
Devotion, piety, and sanctification of the entire man come through
Jesus Christ our righteousness. The love of God needs to be constantly
cultivated. O how my heart cries out to the living God for the mind of Jesus
Christ! I want to lose sight of self
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Manuscript 8, 1900
.
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